Cutler Beckett
Cutler Beckett was the GovernorPirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide, p44-45: "Lord Beckett" of the East India Trading Company, and director of the Company's expansion in the Caribbean. He was granted the title of Lord and duly appointed representative of King George II at some point before assuming Port Royal as his base of operations. Once in the Caribbean, Lord Beckett made it his goal to remove piracy from the world forever, even if that meant an alliance with Jolly Roger. He sought the Dead Man's Chest to achieve his goals, and manipulated Will Turner and the Swann family in order to obtain it. This eventually lead to his acquiring of the heart of Davy Jones, and Jones' ship, the Flying Dutchman. From aboard his flagship, the [[HMS Endeavour|HMS Endeavour]], Beckett oversaw his war against piracy. With the Dutchman leading his armada, the pirates were systematically eliminated. Lord Beckett soon learned of a meeting of the Brethren Court, and was able to track a pirate vessel, the Black Pearl, to Shipwreck Cove. This culminated in a final, decisive battle against the Brethren, in which Beckett was intent on eliminating the remaining pirates with one fell swoop. Biography Early life Cutler Beckett was born in a wealthy family in the county of Somersetshire in South England. He had good education, and his father Jonathan taught him Latin and Greek languages. Cutler had two brothers, Jonathan Jr. and Bartholomew, and one sister, Jane. Both of Cutler's brothers worked in their father's shipping Company. In his own opinion, Cutler had a "head for business", and he asked his father to allow him to join his brothers once he retires. But Jonathan Beckett had a different opinion, believing that Cutler would never be suitable for service to King George I, and he wanted Cutler to become a clergyman instead. A conflict between the father and son arose, and Cutler left his family's home forever.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom, Chapter 4: "Cutler Beckett" East India Trading Company Early career With only a small amount of money given to him by his sister Jane, young Cutler headed for London, where he found employment in the East India Trading Company. Cutler worked at the London EITC Office for several months, proving himself to be a good executive. One day, Cutler's superiors assigned him to a tour of duty at the EITC office on Gibraltar. During the journey, off the coast of Spain, Cutler's ship, the Lindesfarne, was captured by pirates led by Christophe-Julien de Rapièr. Cutler unwisely angered the pirate captain, telling him that his fancy clothes are out-fashioned both in London and Paris. The pirate captain allowed his crew to "play" with youngster, and they tortured him for days. While waiting for the ransom money, the pirate crew forced Cutler and other prisoners to clean their ship; whipping them if they didn't do their work well. Still furious at his son, Jonathan Beckett refused to pay the ransom, but the EITC official Reginald Marmaduke Bracegirdle-Penwallow sent a ransom for Cutler, and captain de Rapièr freed the young boy. The experience in captivity left Cutler with eternal hatred for pirates.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom, Chapter 11: "Pirates and Rogues" After his return to England, Beckett continued to work for the Company, promising to Lord Penwallow that he'll pay him back all the money with which Penwallow ransomed him. For some time, Beckett worked at the EITC office in Bristol. Over the years, Beckett rose through ranks, and he was sent to the Far East to work for the EITC branch in Nippon in the port of Edo. EITC Director After working for three years in Nippon, Beckett was relocated to Calabar in West Africa, where he became the Director of West African Affairs for the East India Trading Company. At some point during his directorship, he bought an old ship, the Wicked Wench. At Calabar he met Jack Sparrow, the EITC officer who worked as the First Mate on one of the Company's ships. When Sparrow successfully defended his ship against the pirates, Beckett was so impressed that he offered him to take command of the Marlin, a slave ship of the Company, as her captain. But Sparrow refused to transport slaves, and Beckett gave him command of the Wicked Wench. Sparrow continued to work as a loyal captain for the Company, but when he refused to give Beckett the exact location of the lost island of Kerma and the Shining City of Zerzura with its treasure-filled labyrinth, Beckett ordered Sparrow to carry a cargo of slaves to New Avalon in the Caribbean for Viscount Penwallow, Beckett's immediate supervisor and patron. Sparrow set off with the Wicked Wench's hold filled with slaves, but he couldn't stand the idea of humans beings as "cargo," so he liberated them on the island of Kerma. Furious at being disobeyed, Beckett ordered Sparrow's ship destroyed and Sparrow himself imprisoned.Pirate 101: "Figure Head" Beckett's men eventually captured Sparrow. Beckett himself branded Jack as a pirate—burning a "P" symbol onto his right forearm—and had him incarcerated as the Wench was set aflame. Jack ultimately escaped, leaving his own mark to Beckett; a mark that had a sense of betrayal. Obtaining the Dead Man's Chest Lordship and Elizabeth.]] Some time during his career with the East India Trading Company, Cutler Beckett had been both knighted and made a lord. By this time, he had risen through the high ranks of the Company and was made Governor of the Company by the Court of Directors and became the duly appointed representative of King George II. Lord Beckett quickly made use of his newfound power and status to act on his long-standing prejudice against pirates. And knowing that the removal of piracy from the world forever would require having complete control of the Seven Seas, Beckett began the search for the Dead Man's Chest. The alliance with Jolly Roger When he arrived in the Caribbean, Beckett discovered that the Company isn't the only force which wants to control the New World. The undead Army of Jolly Roger, an undead pirate captain, was attacking the main islands in the Caribbean, and the ships on the high seas, both the British and the pirate ships. Not wanting to fight on two fronts at the same time, Beckett made a deal with Roger, because they had a common goal, to rid the world of Jack Sparrow. But when Beckett learned about the magical Lost Weapons of El Patron, a Spanish conquistador who disappeared on a mysterious island called Raven's Cove, he double-crossed Roger and sent the Black Guard to find the weapons. Both Roger's and Beckett forces landed on Raven's Cove, and fought a bloody battle over the weapons. At the end of the fight, both sides retrieved some of the weapons, and Raven's Cove was in ruins. Port Royal Approximately a year after the incident at Isla de Muerta, Lord Beckett, arrived at Port Royal aboard the [[HMS Endeavour|HMS Endeavour]], bearing arrest warrants for William Turner, Elizabeth Swann and former Commodore James Norrington, all of whom had been implicit in the escape of Jack Sparrow from his execution at Fort Charles. Norrington had resigned his commission, after his failed attempt to capture Sparrow, but Beckett was able to have Elizabeth and William arrested.Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest to retrieve Jack's compass.]] Despite the objections of his old acquaintance, Governor Weatherby Swann, Beckett imprisoned Elizabeth, but struck a deal with Turner; Beckett wished to obtain Jack Sparrow's compass, with which he hoped to find the Dead Man's Chest, which contained the heart of Davy Jones. With the heart he would be able to assume control over Jones and the crew of the Flying Dutchman, and thus the Seven Seas. In return, Beckett promised to pardon Will and make Jack a privateer under the employ of the British crown, with the use of letters of Marque signed by King George II. Will agreed, and set off to locate Jack. with Cutler Beckett.]] Some time later, Beckett was tipped off that Governor Swann was sending Elizabeth back to London. Realizing that Elizabeth was the only thing holding Will to their bargain, Beckett sent Mercer to kill the captain of the vessel that was to transport Elizabeth to England, and to ambush the governor. While this was going on, Beckett was confronted in his office by Elizabeth, who had snuck away from her father prior to the ambush, and stole the letters of Marque from Beckett's desk. Held at gunpoint Beckett was forced to sign and legitimize the letters for Elizabeth and watch her escape. He anticipated Elizabeth's movements, and sent Mercer to head her off at her most likely destination: the pirate port of Tortuga. Shortly after Elizabeth left, Beckett's men captured a notorious French pirate, Capitaine Chevalle. Beckett had Chevalle tried and set him in stockades in the middle of Fort Charles. Before Chevalle's hanging could commence however, Jack Sparrow snuck into Port Royal to set him free. Sparrow sabotaged the hangman's rope, and then used a series of explosions to cover his and Chevalle's escape from the fort. Unable to recapture Chevalle or Sparrow, Beckett returned to his search for the Dead Man's Chest.''Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' (video game) Control of the seas in his office.]] Beckett later had Governor Weatherby Swann brought in to hear Mercer's report that Elizabeth had left Tortuga with Jack Sparrow on the Black Pearl, along with James Norrington. Beckett told Swann—who had been imprisoned for his actions—that his armada would soon catch the Pearl and dispense justice. Swann, ignorant of the fact that the Black Pearl was almost uncatchable, accepted Beckett's demands for his loyalty, in return for Elizabeth's safety. of Davy Jones.]] Ultimately, Lord Beckett received the contents of the Dead Man's Chest from James Norrington. Norrington had stolen Jack Sparrow's letters of Marque, who in turn, had taken them from Elizabeth. Seeking to regain his honour, Norrington fought for the heart of Davy Jones with Jack Sparrow and William Turner, and was able to escape from Isla Cruces, and was picked up by a Company ship. With both the letters and the heart, Beckett not only pardoned Norrington, but promoted him to the rank of admiral. With the heart of Davy Jones in his possession, Beckett was now one step closer to his goal of eradicating piracy from the seas forever. War Against Piracy .]] With the heart in his possession, Beckett employed Admiral James Norrington, and used Davy Jones to hunt down, capture and exterminate piracy from the Caribbean. During this period, in order to catch and execute pirates and their accomplices more quickly, Beckett declared marshal law as the duly appointed representative of His Majesty the King. He suspended many rights of ordinary citizens, including the right to a verdict of a jury of peers, the right to legal counsel, the right to gather in protest and several others. Using the authority of Governor Swann, Beckett oversaw the executions of hundreds of people who he believed had even the remotest association with piracy, including children. During one execution, Beckett was able to get the crowd to sing the anthem of the Brethren Court––a clandestine association of notorious pirates––a sign he knew would force the Brethren to meet, at which time he could attack and eliminate them with one fell stroke.Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Control of the Dutchman .]] As this war progressed, Beckett was intent on finding the crew of the Black Pearl. He apparently was able to have them tracked to Singapore, where Mercer led a detachment of Company troops to find the hideout of the infamous Chinese pirate, Sao Feng. Beckett had placed a spy in Sao Feng's organization, named Steng, who was able to lead Mercer to Feng's bath house. Mercer ambushed the pirates, but wasn't able to capture Feng, or the crew of the Pearl. Mercer reported that Steng had said that the pirates were gathering, and that nine Pirate Lords would be attending, including Jack Sparrow, who was being rescued by his crew from Davy Jones' Locker. Beckett still desired to know the significance of the nine pieces of eight, of which their spy knew very little. However, Mercer told Beckett of a secret deal he made with Sao Feng: Feng would capture the crew of the Pearl and Sparrow would be delivered to Beckett for interrogation, and in turn Feng would be given the Pearl, a clause Beckett had no intention of fulfilling. onboard the Flying Dutchman.]] With the Flying Dutchman under its command, the Company easily obliterated numerous pirate vessels. However, Beckett soon became irritated with Davy Jones' habit of leaving no survivors for him to interrogate. Beckett already forced Jones to beach the Kraken, so that it could not be used against him; now he would need to keep Davy Jones within an arm's reach. Beckett placed Admiral Norrington onboard the Dutchman with the Dead Man's Chest, with mini-cannons pointed at the chest at all times. With the chest in constant danger, Jones was forced to obey Beckett's commands to the letter. Soon after that, Beckett ordered Governor Swann to be murdered, fearing that he would soon figure out the significance of the chest, and pose a threat to his plans. However, Beckett attempted to keep the matter secret, and informed individuals, such as Swann's associate Admiral Norrington, that the Governor had been "sent back to England". Just Good Business After the Pearl came back from the Locker, Sao Feng made true to his bargain, and captured the Pearl, through a deal he made with Will Turner. He then defaulted on his deal with Turner, in favor of his deal with Beckett. Beckett then intercepted Sao Feng and the Pearl in his flagship, the [[HMS Endeavour|HMS Endeavour]]. .]] Beckett tried to gain information from Sparrow, while interrogating him in his quarters, but Sparrow's inordinate terms reminded Beckett of Sparrow's compass, the use of which would render Sparrow unnecessary. Sparrow, however, pointed out that since Beckett wanted Sparrow dead more than anything in the world, Jack's compass would only lead to Sparrow. When Beckett suggested killing Sparrow to "cut out the middle man", Sparrow pointed out that if Beckett simply killed him, he would then find the meeting place of the Brethren Court, Shipwreck Cove, but he would have to blockade the island and spend countless resources in the process. Sparrow proposed that Beckett release him, so that he could lead Beckett to Shipwreck Cove, and draw the pirates out. Beckett agreed, but at that same moment, Sao Feng joined forces with Hector Barbossa—after learning that he would not be receiving the Pearl after all—and attacked the Endeavour. Sparrow ran out of Beckett's office and cleverly used a cannon and a rope to get back onto the Pearl. Beckett ordered Jones to pursue Sao Feng's ship, the Empress, so that the Endeavour could follow the Pearl. The Endeavour was unable to pursue the Pearl at first, however, due to the fact that during his escape, Jack Sparrow had disabled the main mast of the Endeavour, crippling the vessel for several hours. Groves and Beckett on the Endeavour.]] When repairs had been made, the Endeavour headed off in the general direction of the Pearl, hoping to catch up to Sparrow. Interestingly enough, a trail of bodies tied to barrels was leading them closer to the Pearl. One night, a barrel had a living body on top of it. When pulled to the deck, Beckett came face to face with the man who had made the trail of bodies in the first place, William Turner. Will had apparently been thrown overboard by Sparrow, and had come to treat with Beckett. As he had tea with Will, Davy Jones was summoned. Jones was upset with Beckett for not telling him that Sparrow had been freed from the Locker and suspected that he was hiding other information from him as well. Beckett ignored Jones' suspicions, and instead questioned Jones about Calypso, the goddess of the sea, according to nautical legend. Beckett had been told that the pirates possessed Calypso, and he wanted to see if Jones knew anything about her, knowing that, as Jones had sailed the seas for hundreds of years, he would no doubt have heard the "legend". Beckett was surprised to find that Jones himself had made a deal with the original Brethren Court to bind Calypso in human form. Will told them that the current Brethren Court intended to release her, and offered to lead Beckett and Jones to Shipwreck Cove, all in return for his father's freedom and the guarantee of his and Elizabeth's safety. Beckett agreed, and Will gave Beckett Jack's compass, which was able to lead him to Shipwreck Cove. Prior to his arrival at Shipwreck Island, Beckett sent a small force of Company soldiers, under the command of his elite Black Coat soldiers, to attack the Pirate Lords in Shipwreck City. Inevitably, the small contingent of Company troops was defeated, but Beckett had only meant to delay the pirates from escaping, while he organized his armada against them. Parlay with the Pirates on the sandbar.]] True to his word, Sparrow had indeed led the Brethren out of their fortress, and offshore of Shipwreck Island, Beckett's armada came face to face with the fleet of the Brethren Court. The pirates were outnumbered ten to one, and Beckett was as confident as ever of his victory. He rowed over to a sandbar in between the two fleets, along with Davy Jones and Will. The three men waited for the arrival of the Court's ambassadors. Finally, Elizabeth Swann, Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow strode up the sandbar to them. Beckett told them that they could either surrender or fight, and in the latter case they would all die. Elizabeth rebuked Beckett, and seemed confident in the capabilities of her own small fleet. Although Will told Elizabeth he was the one who had lead Beckett to Shipwreck Cove, Beckett was convinced that Sparrow was really behind it all. Beckett revealed to the pirates the deal he had made with Jack, and tried unsuccessfully to get him to confess. Nevertheless, Elizabeth offered to trade Jack for Will, to which Beckett happily agreed. Beckett rowed back to the Endeavour, and ordered his men to ready the fleet. As preparations were being made for the battle, an odd wind began to blow in the favorable direction of the pirate fleet, and the skies darkened and rain began to fall. As lightning struck the surface of the water in front of Beckett's fleet, a colossal maelstrom began to form. Beckett saw that the Pearl was heading towards the maelstrom, and ordered the Dutchman to do the same, signaling it to attack the Pearl and to give no quarter. Confident of his superiority, Beckett sent only the Flying Dutchman to attack the pirates. Death Following the end of the battle of the maelstrom, and the apparent sinking of the Flying Dutchman, the Black Pearl emerged victorious from the massive whirlpool. After Lieutenant Groves saw the Pearl just waiting between the two fleets, Beckett commanded the Endeavour to finish the Pearl off, disregarding his deal with Sparrow. However, as he closed in on the Pearl, the Flying Dutchman reemerged from the depths. Beckett did not know that Will Turner had stabbed the heart of Davy Jones, and had taken his place as captain of the Flying Dutchman. As the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman rounded about and closed in on the HMS Endeavour, Beckett was paralyzed with a mixture of fear, shock, doubt, and indecision, unable to give any of his men a single order. Lieutenant Groves was concerned about what Beckett's orders were in the turn of events. The Pearl and the Dutchman flanked the Endeavour on both sides, and fired a full broadside. Beckett still did not give an order, so Groves ordered the entire crew of the Endeavour to abandon ship, and then jumped overboard. While Beckett still stood in shock, knowing that he will meet his end, the crew of the Endeavour either jumped overboard or were killed in the blasts. Beckett, defeated and utterly helpless, calmly walked down the staircase from the helm to the quarterdeck of the Endeavour as the ship was being obliterated all around him. Oddly enough, as he walked towards the center of his ship, not a single large piece of metal or wood hit him. But finally, Beckett's life ended when the constant barrage of fire from the two ships ignited the Endeavour's powder magazine, sending his ship up in flames. His body was blown overboard and landed atop a floating East India Trading Company flag. Personality and traits Cutler Beckett was an intelligent, persistent, and incredibly ruthless man, who would stop at nothing to further his own personal goals. He felt no remorse for the deaths he caused, as he showed when he sent hundreds of possibly innocent people, who he believed to be associated with piracy, to the gallows, even children. He utilized his assistant, Mercer, to the fullest of his abilities, using him as both an assassin and spy. Beckett was adept at twisting the law for his own aims, using his status as a representative of King George II to manipulate Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner, and James Norrington to find the Dead Man's Chest. Beckett viewed others as tools, and showed blatant disregard for the lives of others around him. He was also quite unconcerned with dangerous, even life-threatening situations, remaining calm during an attack on the Endeavour, as cannonballs streaked past him. Even prior to his death, he remained calm, for the most part, as his ship was helplessly obliterated all around him. Perhaps Beckett's most uncharacteristic attribute was his seeming interest of Elizabeth Swann. Perhaps, like the pirate Sao Feng, Beckett was intrigued by her outgoing and assertive personality, contrary to the reserved personalities of most women at the time. Ultimately, however, she had no bearing on his decisions to attack the Black Pearl and the fleet of the Brethren Court; although, at one point he did half-heartedly try to coax Jack Sparrow into giving Elizabeth over to him during their negotiations aboard the Endeavour. Nevertheless, Beckett remorselessly had Elizabeth's father murdered, and seemed unfazed when she confronted him about it. Beckett also had no qualms with revoking on deals with those he did business with, disregarding secret agreements he made with a range of people, including Weatherby Swann, Will Turner, Sao Feng and Jack Sparrow. Ironically his attempt to renege on his deal with Sparrow led to his death as he brought his ship out into the open, allowing the Black Pearl and Flying Dutchman to destroy it. Despite his familiarity with betrayal, or perhaps because of it, Beckett paid those who betrayed him in kind, and rewarded those who served him faithfully. Beckett's actions throughout most of his life were driven by his intense hatred of pirates. The majority of his policy while Governor of the East India Trading Company involved confronting the issue of piracy across the globe. While the precise grounds for Beckett's hatred are unclear, it is likely that, as Governor of the EITC, he saw piracy as a major threat to commerce, especially the financial interests of the Company. However, Beckett possessed a very keen vision for a new world order, and he believed that the romantic age that pirates such as Jack Sparrow once belonged to had come to and end. He further believed that if pirates could not find their place in the dawning age of global commerce they would perish, either through the natural course of social evolution, or preferably, by his own designs. It is also likely that Beckett's hatred for all pirate-kind was seated in his deep-rooted hatred and sense of rivalry with Jack Sparrow, himself a pirate. Beckett possessed a number of various outfits. Most were dark colored, perhaps reflecting his sinister goals. All of them were elegant, however, and as Beckett valued personal wealth and beauty, he wore them to show others his high status and wealth. He always wore tall black boots and a powdered wig, giving him an air of authority. Beckett also wore a bicorne hat and, occasionally, an Inverness cape when outside, especially in rainy weather. Equipment and skills Beckett owned and used a variety of items and weapons during his service in the East India Trading Company. Perhaps most impressive of all, was the world map he had painted in his Port Royal office. A cartographer was employed to make daily changes to the map as ships returned bringing reports of the Company's growing power and influence. Beckett also maintained a large globe in his cabin aboard the HMS Endeavour. Also aboard, were various nautical instruments and toy ships that eerily resembled torture devices, perhaps reflecting the type of control Beckett planned to exert over the world.At World's End production notes: Chapter 7 - Return to The Bahamas Beckett also possessed a silver-topped walking stick which he used sparingly, but nevertheless used it to emphasize his status. Interestingly enough, Beckett also owned a horse, which he rode into Port Royal upon his arrival in the Caribbean. Beckett made many enemies during his rise to power, and took to carrying a pistol at all times. This short-barelled weapon was kept in a specially-made pocket in the lining of his frock coat. He also owned a cutlass and took possession of James Norrington's sword upon taking control of Port Royal. Despite the fact that Beckett rarely carried his cutlass with him, he was nevertheless highly trained in swordplay, and considered himself a very skilled duelist. During his campaign to eradicate piracy, Beckett made use of a pirate brand. This branding iron was tipped with a "P", which was pressed, boiling hot, onto the forearm of captured pirates, leaving them permanently scarred. Beckett kept this brand in his office. Upon journeying to the Caribbean, Beckett brought with him Letters of Marque, signed by the King himself, intending to use them in his plan to assume control of the Dead Man's Chest. The chance to become a privateer was offered to Jack Sparrow, though the letters were ultimately signed and claimed by James Norrington, in exchange for the heart of Davy Jones. Behind the scenes *In the first screenplay draft of At World's End, Cutler Beckett obtained one piece of eight, the Magellan's ring, from Capitaine Chevalle, years ago in the game of cards in the South China Seas. He later used it as his seal ring and sealed Letters of Marque with it. *A silver mine on Padres Del Fuego is called Beckett's Quarry. *Cutler Beckett had a special theme made for him by Hans Zimmer. It was part of the unreleased soundtracks of Pirates of the Caribbean: Soundtrack Treasures Collection. Appearances *''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean Online'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' **''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' (comic) *''Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' **''Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' (video game) Sources *''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide'' Notes and references Category:Captains Category:Deceased individuals Category:East India Trading Company officials Category:HMS Endeavour crew Category:English Category:Males Category:Governors Category:Inhabitants of Port Royal Category:Marksmen Category:Swordsmen Category:Inhabitants of London Category:Lords Category:Beckett family